How To Sell Your Boss

Selling your boss is critical to your success. If you can’t get your boss’s approval when you need it, you are not going to go very far in your career. As the president of a company, Michael Hyatt spends a good deal of time listening to proposals. Those doing the pitching usually need his approval to proceed with their project. He never ceases to be amazed at how poorly most people do in this kind of situation. Unfortunately, most of us never receive any formal training in this important skill. As a result, we flounder about, trying to figure out how to do it better.

In his article, Michael provides you with a few shortcuts, based on his 27–plus years in business. Hopefully, this will shorten your learning curve. As someone who is constantly pitched one thing or another, he has a lot of experience on the receiving end of proposals. He’s seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. Read about six keys to getting your boss to say yes.

1. Meet your boss’s needs. This is the first and most important key to getting to “yes.” Everything else in this article is a footnote to this point. (…)

2. Pick your battles. Don’t take a swing unless you’re confident that you will hit the ball. (…)

3. Do your homework. In my experience, this is the number one reason why people don’t get to “yes.” They simply haven’t thought the proposal through. As a result, it is full of holes. Each of these provides an easy out for the boss and a quick “no” for you. (…)

4. “Bullet proof” your proposal. This is where the battle is won or lost. Unfortunately, it’s a step that most people skip—to their own detriment. Spending 30 minutes working on this is the best investment you could make. (…)

5. Make the pitch. Schedule a time to make the pitch. Pick a time when your boss is likely to be the most receptive. (…)

6. Accept responsibility for the outcome. There may be a thousand and one excuses for why you didn’t “make the sale.” (…) Accept the fact that your proposal just wasn’t that compelling.